Trim Healthy Mama Review

Several of my friends subscribe to the Trim Healthy Mama diet plan. One of them asked me what I thought about it. Honestly, I didn’t know. At the time, I remained unaware of the plan. So, I decided to read up on it. But I couldn’t–without paying money. Oh, I could view glowing testimonials on Facebook and the official website. But until my friend sent me the link to a blog that functions as a companion to the book, I could discover no details.

Because of this road-block, I began my reading with a good bit of skepticism. However, the basics do seem nutritious. So here is my take on this current fad. (Yes, I believe it is a fad, even though it is probably a pretty good one.)

Positives of the Trim Healthy Mama Diet

All the essential food groups are included. Carbohydrates are not excluded, they are simply regulated. This is a point upon which some other diet fads fail, and why most people cannot stay on them for a lifetime.

There is a lot of community. The Facebook group members get to see testimonials, recipes, and positive support. It’s almost like a secret sorority, so one feels like she’s part of an “in” crowd. No doubt this helps someone who might be trying to eat right without many others in her life joining her.

There are rules to follow. For some people this is important. It helps them stay on-track. For others, rules function as a negative.

Artificial sweeteners are banned. It is becoming common knowledge that these are poison in disguise and that they actually cause weight gain.

Whole, organic foods are promoted for the most part.

Negatives of the Trim Healthy Mama Diet

There are rules to follow. The plan is so complicated, the companion blog is necessary to help de-mystify it.

Carbohydrates and fats are never eaten together. The book apparently tells why, but if I followed this plan, I could never eat butter on my baked sweet potatoes, or sliced avocado on toasted Ezekiel Bread, or even put carrots in my salad with olive oil for a dressing. While I have heard of eating bread after a meal instead of before it, or separating protein from carbs, this is a different take on the order.

Participants are encouraged to eat every 3-4 hours. The companion blog says if you’re not hungry by then, you’re eating too much fat. This seems counter-intuitive to me. I want to go longer periods between meals, so I increase my “good” fat intake. Our bodies also benefit from periodic fasting from food.

Protein is mandated at every meal. This would mean 4 or even up to 6 times per day. Most people don’t need anywhere near that much protein. Also, protein is found in sometimes unexpected foods, like nuts, so some people might consume more protein than they realize.

This one is just a personal thing for me. Recipes are offered that substitute stevia sweetener for sugar or coconut or almond flour for wheat flour, etc. I don’t want to turn a real, wonderful food into something it was never intended to be. If I’m going to eat a dessert, I’m going to eat the real thing and enjoy it. Depending on where my weight is, I may not do this very often at all, but I’ll look forward to it and use it as a reward. In the meantime, I’ll eat berries with real cream on top as dessert, or one ounce of at least 80% dark chocolate.

Not enough attention is paid to the preparation of food. Whole grains are only healthy if soaked (including oats) and prepared without added vitamins (enriched). Beans need to be soaked long and cooked long to remove anti-nutrients. Some vegetables become more bio-available when they are steamed than when they are raw. Tree nuts should always be soaked overnight in salt water and low-slow baked.

The Bottom Line

Any plan that you will follow and stay on for the rest of your life is a good one if it focuses on whole, healthy foods, low- or no-sugar, and healthy preparation methods. The real key is lifestyle change that lasts.

Many fad diets work, but are impossible to build a life around. I know one woman who lost over a hundred pounds with Weight Watchers 40 years ago and has still kept it off. Another friend loses weight with Weight Watchers and as soon as she reaches her goal weight, goes right back to her old eating patterns. I know a woman who lost with TOPS and is keeping hers off. I have friends who follow the Shepherd’s Diet right now and are rapidly losing weight.

My favorite plan is God’s plan. It never changes. It is always corroborated by “new” scientific research. You can find it in The Great Physician’s Rx for Good Health by Jordan Rubin. A more thorough treatment of the biblical basis for this way of eating is found in an older, but wonderful book, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell, M.D. The current phrase “clean eating” describes the plan, too. Whatever it may be called, the principles remain timeless.

When our diet provides a solid foundation for good health, weight will normalize, certain diseases will be held at bay, and the severity of others can be minimized. It’s not a quick-fix. It is a paradigm shift to a new lifestyle.